What is your favorite autograph medium?

[Forever Young]

I enjoy letters, gpc's, signed documents and checks the most as they typically date the signature. I am also more comfortable with the authenticity. I specifically collect pre-rookie and rookie signatures on these items. However, I do enjoy many other mediums. What are your favorite signed items to collect? I would love to see them! Below are some of mine..

1951
1951
1942
1938
not rookie but it will do

[mschwade]

3x5's or GPC's, no doubt about it.... And those that know me know I am even picky about the writing utensil depending on my project.

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by mschwade

3x5's or GPC's, no doubt about it.... And those that know me know I am even picky about the writing utensil depending on my project.

I hear you Matt.. I only buy pen now... no more sharpies or pencil for me. Do you frame your pieces at all?

[mschwade]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

I hear you Matt.. I only buy pen now... no more sharpies or pencil for me. Do you frame your pieces at all?

Yes I do.. I like to include pictures above the 3x5's and double mat around the picture and the index card. What's the deal with no sharpies? I like Sharpies for the newer autographs because you can read them from further away.

[mschwade]

And by the way, after reading Kevin Nelson's book, I definitely do not want to own autographed 8x10's unless I got them myself.

[Big Six]

I'm a sucker for the old fashioned 3x5...too bad it's getting impossible to get today's players to sign them...and I can't justify paying some of today's hall of farmers to sign them either...hard to collect autographs these days...

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by mschwade

Yes I do.. I like to include pictures above the 3x5's and double mat around the picture and the index card. What's the deal with no sharpies? I like Sharpies for the newer autographs because you can read them from further away.

Matt,

I am not a fan of the sharpies for a couple reasons.

1) They seem to change color at times vs ball point/fountain pen. I do realize it depends on how you take care of them

2) I feel like I can see the signature better with a ballpoint/fountain pen. The flow, the thiness etc.

Do these points make sense? Plus, I really only collect old/vintage autos so if a sig of say.. maris or mantle existed in a sharpie, that would also entail it was a newer sig.
You collect newer sigs and enjoy the sharpie so to each their own! Hence the thread..we all enjoy different things which is cool!

[mschwade]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

Matt,

I am not a fan of the sharpies for a couple reasons.

1) They seem to change color at times vs ball point/fountain pen. I do realize it depends on how you take care of them

2) I feel like I can see the signature better with a ballpoint/fountain pen. The flow, the thiness etc.

Do these points make sense? Plus, I really only collect old/vintage autos so if a sig of say.. maris or mantle existed in a sharpie, that would also entail it was a newer sig.
You collect newer sigs and enjoy the sharpie so to each their own! Hence the thread..we all enjoy different things which is cool!

Yep! Makes perfect sense.. I hate the black magic marker they used in the 80's that would yellow around the signature after time.

[bender07]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

Mama, that's nice!

[bbcard1]

I have a baseball encyclopedia signed by more than 220 players over their entry.

[Scott Garner]

I probably enjoy vintage GPC's and 3 x 5's signed in fountain pen the most.
You really can't beat them for aesthetic beauty, plus as one poster already mentioned, being able to tie the sig to a specific date is an added bonus.

I also collect signed vintage RPPC's, checks, cuts, letters, bats, balls and other types of signed flats of no-hit pitchers.

[bender07]

I like album pages, index cards, vintage signatures on baseball cards, but my favorite is GPC's. Here's a nice Hooper:

[mr2686]

Not sure if I have a favorite or not. For me it depends on how I'm going to mat it or where I'm going to put it. For example, if it's for a team project, especially one that is 1950 or later, I try to get as many signed baseball cards as possible. When I can't find a card, a 3x5, AP or cut will do but I try to make sure I have a balance within the matted project. For my 1934 Cardinals project, I found a nice signed check of Paul Dean, so to balance it out I looked for a check of one of the other players and found a nice Jesse Haines check. I also love to get HOF'ers in my 1980's Hall of Fame book, but that of course is limited to living players (unless I sell it to CC and then all bets are off). Last but not least, I love to find or get autographs on sports magazines. There's just something about them that looks really great, and of course, they display really well too.

[scmavl]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

Amazing collection, Ben. Did Willie sign that "Form, Willie Mays"? Funny.

I prefer whatever the signature looks best on. I'd love a Ruth on a single signed ball but I'd take Jimmy's Gehrig signed postcard over it any day of the week. I like Ty Cobb on letters, as he wrote a bunch of them. Later era players (50-60's) I like on their best looking card, i.e.: Koufax on '63 Topps, BRobby & Drysdale on their '57 RCs, Ted Williams on '54 Topps, Mantle on '54 Bowman...

But for the one player I collect the most (Killebrew), I have no preference at all.

[HRBAKER]

Depends on the era of the player, up through the 60's probably 3x5s, GPCs, Checks and cards.



Modern day players, cards/programs.





I also like to take small cuts (which are generally cheap) and make custom cards.